some anime tips for those of you who are not J-nerds

Rating: 8/10 (28 July 2013)

A lot's been said, personally I felt PR to be the most entertaining summer film so far. It was definitely worth the 3D extra charge, and should definitely be seen in a theater - without a first-class sound system and on a smaller screen, there's not much point in watching this.
Since PR is Hollywood's first deep dive into the mecha (fighting robot) world, those of you who are not too fascinated by things Japanese may not know where much of the inspiration for this came from. So here's a few anime tips in case you got curious. In a way, the B.O. indicates that this kind of thing may work better with audiences in the animated form.
Everybody in the world should be familiar with Evangelion. Then again, the original is from 1995-96, so some younger folks may not be. The 'Eva' mecha are the obvious inspiration for the Jaeger's design. Three visually updated relaunch movies have been released: 'Evangelion 1.0. You are not alone' (2007), www.imdb.com/title/tt0923811, 'Evangelion 2.0. You can (not) advance' (2009), www.imdb.com/title/tt0860906, and 'Evangelion 3.0: You can (not) redo' (2012), www.imdb.com/title/tt0860907. The films are less philosophical than the original 26 episode series. For that reason, however, it's the perfect introduction to mecha anime for anyone who's enjoyed PR, but found the story too flat/silly.
Similar mecha anime with better stories would be 'Aquarion' (2005, 26 episodes, same 'fusion of mecha pilots' angle), 'Broken Blade' (2010-11, 6 OVAs, fantasy mecha battle epic with the same melodrama), the highly recommended 'Code Geass' (2008/2012, 50 episodes, alternative evil empire history with super powers), 'Gargantia' (2013, 13 episodes, similar monsters), and 'Macross Frontier' (2008-09, 26 episodes, similar monsters with space opera and singing).
If you're looking for an anime currently airing which best defines the difference between this entertainment form and film, has an interesting story and is recklessly cool, try 'Attack on Titan' (www.imdb.com/title/tt2560140). Be warned, you may be hooked and become a J-nerd yourself. But don't resist the fun, go with the zeitgeist.